Centara continues to grow its footprint in many of the world’s most attractive destinations. The group recently signed a joint venture agreement for its inaugural property in Japan: the 515-room Centara Grand Hotel Osaka, which is scheduled to open in mid-2023.

The hotel will occupy a gleaming 33-storey tower now under construction on a prime site in Osaka’s Namba district, the centre of leisure tourism for the city and the wider Kansai region. Osaka is a key gateway city and Japan’s third largest city, with a population of 2.7 million. Additionally, it is one of the leading Japanese destinations for international visitors, second only to Tokyo, and is considered the cultural heart of the nation. Along with popular attractions such as Universal Studios Japan and the city’s proximity to Kyoto, Kobe and Nara, Osaka is expected to see a further boost in tourism when the city hosts the World Expo in 2025.

Centara debuts in Doha

At the start of the year, Centara made its debut in Qatar with the launch of the 292-room Centara West Bay Residences & Suites Doha, an oasis of calm in the heart of the city’s West Bay commercial district. The hotel overlooks the waters of the Arabian Gulf and is only moments away from the city’s iconic Corniche promenade.

Following an agreement with the same owner, Centara will add two more properties in Doha: The B Premiere Hotel, a member of the Centara Boutique Collection, is an 85-room newly built property which is due to open early next year on Al Rawabi Street, located within ten minutes’ drive from many of the city’s popular attractions, shopping malls and event venues, and 20 minutes by car from Doha International Airport; and the 167-room Centara Al Bustan Hotel Doha, which is currently under construction and is due to open in 2021.

Growing in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is also a key area of expansion. Centara recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to manage six properties in Myanmar, including the 91-room Centara KMA Resort Inle Lake, which was the first of the six properties to be signed and will begin welcoming guests in early 2020.

In Laos, the company has secured management agreements for three new properties with a combined total of 216 rooms, including Centara Grand and Centra by Centara hotels in Luang Prabang and COSI Vientiane Nam Phu. These three are in addition to Centara Plumeria Resort Pakse, which is scheduled to open in 2020. Finally, Centara has revealed plans for a significant expansion of its portfolio in Vietnam, with the goal of opening at least 20 new hotels nationwide in the next five years.

Phu Quoc plans

Centara’s first step toward that goal came with the recent signing of an MOU with Hoang Hai Phu Quoc House Investment Development Corporation(Hoang Hai House Corp.) for the management of two hotels with a combined 533 rooms that are currently in development on Phu Quoc island. The MOU covers the 351-room Centra Pearl Bay Phu Quoc, a contemporary 5-star hotel due to open in December 2021, as well as the 182-key Centara Heritage Garden Resort Phu Quoc, a 4-star resort due to open in June 2022 in Phu Quoc’s Bai Truong (Long Beach).

Centara is also focused on revitalising its brands and properties to create the finest experiences for all guests.
Fresh brand identities have been revealed for the group’s upscale Centara and upper upscale Centara Grand brands. This serves to breathe new life and energy into their visual appeal and better distinguish the brand experiences, whilst ensuring a sense of warmth and progressive Thainess, which are the omnipresent hallmarks of the company.

This will be complemented by a new luxury brand which will be officially launched following the complete upgrade and repositioning of the popular Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, which closed temporarily earlier this year. Its reopening in late 2020 will coincide with the unveiling of the brand, whose name, together with exciting details of its inaugural hotel will be announced in January 2020. Centara has also signed an MOU with a leading medical company to create a new medical wellness brand.

Centara - the place to be

In October, Centara began the rollout of its new global advertising campaign, titled “The Place to Be”, which is derived from the company’s unique and inimitable brand DNA of Thai Family Values and the associated values of Caring, Sharing and Belonging.

The new campaign represents the culmination of an extensive internal review and research process that helped identify the unique essence and refine the positioning of Centara Hotels & Resorts from a customer point of view – be that a guest, trade or business partner – and in the eyes of both its current and prospective customers.

The essence of Centara

That process brought clarity by identifying the Thai family values of Belonging, Caring and Sharing as the core qualities that define the Centara experience. Through these values, places are created and experiences inspired, that evoke a true sense of belonging. Whether as a place to enjoy a family holiday or a romantic break, to do business, to wine and dine, to host an event or celebrate a new venture, Centara is “The Place to Be”.

Tom Thrussell, Centara VP - Brand, Marketing & Digital, explained the campaign’s objectives: “We wanted to align our brand positioning to truly reflect the authentic characteristics of Centara’s DNA. The new campaign celebrates the shared values that connect our brand and our customers with a message that is very simple and memorable yet also rich in meaning. ‘The Place to Be’ is clearly rooted in the philosophy and heritage of our brand, our warm and personal service approach, and the continued focus we place on creating environments where people want to be, and in which they feel they truly belong.”

The new campaign will appear in local and international consumer and trade media as well as across Centara’s social, digital and mobile platforms.